Terriers sad that strong foes are leaving SoCon

It became one of the best Southern Conference football rivalries, always fierce, sometimes bitter, and when it ended, there was mutual respect.

By TODD SHANESYtodd.shanesy@shj.com

It became one of the best Southern Conference football rivalries, always fierce, sometimes bitter, and when it ended, there was mutual respect.Wofford beat Georgia Southern, 30-20, Saturday night at Gibbs Stadium in the final game between them as conference opponents. GSU is headed for the Football Bowl Subdivision and the Sun Belt Conference. The Eagles are not eligible for the FCS playoffs so there's not a chance these teams will meet again in the postseason.And there is a chance they will never meet again. Another traditional power, Appalachian State, also leaving for the Sun Belt, and Elon, leaving for the FCS Colonial Athletic Conference, will play in Spartanburg later this season in their Southern Conference farewell seasons. “I'm disappointed,” Wofford head coach Mike Ayers said. “I think we had one of the best conferences in America. Those teams leave and it's going to be different from now on. But there will be teams that take their places and I'm sure the rivalries will eventually kick in with those new ones.”Newcomers next season will be two former members, VMI and East Tennessee State, as well as Mercer, which has begun playing scholarship football after a seven-decade absence. ETSU left the Southern Conference and temporarily dropped the sport in 2003. VMI also left that year and joined the Big South. The Keydets lost Saturday, 37-24, to Division II North Greenville. Yes, things will certainly be different.“It's great to play against great competition,” Wofford quarterback Michael Weimer said. “You always want to play the best. I'm going to miss playing Georgia Southern, but they're moving on to other things. Maybe we can play then sometime down the road.”“Georgia Southern is a great team and playing them has been fun,” Wofford linebacker Alvin Scioneaux said. “It's been great competing every year with them and also Appalachian State. The three of us have led this conference. We've been the best teams for quite a while.”As usual, things got a little heated in the trenches Saturday night, with Wofford coming out on top most of the time and dominating the line of scrimmage. But at the final horn, the two teams gathered at midfield to wish each other well. There were handshakes, hugs and a prayer meeting that featured a mix of black jerseys with white jerseys.“On the field, you're running hard and hitting hard and trying to beat your opponent,” Wofford safety Josh Holt said. “But they are people, just like us. We want to be respectful, win or lose. The coaches instill that in us.”Wofford players and coaches, when they are on the road, always pause and stand in attention when the home team plays its alma mater. Opponents don't often play their school song at the end of games in Gibbs Stadium, but when the Georgia Southern band in a small corner of the stands broke into song, the Terriers joined the Eagles in tribute.“That's just part of what we do,” Ayers said. “You battle on the field and after that, you're a good citizen. You do what you're supposed to do. … I think both teams respect each other. I know I respect the heck out of their program. (Head coach) Jeff (Monken) does an unbelievable job. All those coaches do a great job. I wish Georgia Southern the best. I really do.”